* Procedural or episodic shows are stand alone episodes. There may be arcs that connect shows. These shows have a built-in reset button which sets the show back to default. Most of Star Trek has been of this type.

* Serialized shows are a chain of connected episodes. There is no reset button. Storylines, characters, and, sometimes, settings change over the course of the series. Enterprise experimented with serialization in its third season.